Athletes take pictures and use a cell phone during opening and closing ceremonies.

And good for them!

I don't see anything wrong with the athletes enjoying themselves, even if that enjoyment isn't 100% traditional. And I don't see anything wrong with tweeting while carrying the torch unless it is in the final legs of it's run and has become part of the performance that is the opening ceremony.

Then again I see little inherent value in tradition for the sake of tradition.

I read the opening of this thread to a friend over the phone. Her opinion was that this man is such a genius it never occurs to him that this is rude because his brain capacity is such that he can multitask greater than anyone else.

Which still does not make this acceptable behavior.

Per an earlier post, I vacationed in England four times during the 80s. The third and fourth times I left my camera home and I had a better time because I wasn't constantly trying to take perfect photos.

Athletes take pictures and use a cell phone during opening and closing ceremonies.

And good for them!

I don't see anything wrong with the athletes enjoying themselves, even if that enjoyment isn't 100% traditional. And I don't see anything wrong with tweeting while carrying the torch unless it is in the final legs of it's run and has become part of the performance that is the opening ceremony.

Then again I see little inherent value in tradition for the sake of tradition.

I don't think it is a matter of tradition for the sake of tradition. It is about giving your full attention to a ceremony you have been invited to be an important part of.

If, 15 years ago, a torch bearer started chatting to a friend who was on the sidelines, he would have been rude. Tweeting, texting and face booking aren't any different, just because he kept moving while doing it.

I don't think it is a matter of tradition for the sake of tradition. It is about giving your full attention to a ceremony you have been invited to be an important part of.

Who is to say the 'ceremonial' aspect can not change, or that the athletes must consider themselves to be part of the ceremony rather the celebrated guests. And further, it's hardly a ceremony any more. It's a stage presentation, which retains some ceremonial aspects. The audience certainly isn't expected to behave for the entire several hours as if they are at a ceremony, nor is color commentary usually a feature of a ceremony.

I feel as though several people are insisting on a solemn ceremonial aspect when that image of the Olympics has been changing and fading rather distinctly in the last couple of decades. It is first and foremost and athletic competition, not a ceremony. If the athletes and torch runners choose to emphasize that over the ceremony, I don't see a good basis for objecting.

Personally I feel it was disrespectful to everyone involved. He showed a lack of interest in both the honor of carrying the torch & those who had come to see the event. His lack of engagement with the activity and crowd strikes me as both rude and arrogant, added to this the fact that he got the name of the place wrong I can't see why he was given the role. Admittedly I dislike the man and this may be colouring my views.

When put against the ordinary people who were chosen such as Paul Thomas who carried the torch in Merthyr and was chosen for his charity work, or the similarly named Paul Thomson, co-founder of the waterbabies programme which teaches swimming from birth and has both saved lives on at least two documented occasions and form the habit of regular exercise early, to mention just two, it is my personal belief Will.I.am had no place carrying the torch and his behaviour confirms that.